Michael is now lying to the police, and making his friends lie for him. The lies just keep getting worse. He is denying what he has done wrong just to protect himself, and he is dragging people down with him.

Anger

Michael

3-5

Michael is angry with himself, because he did not mean to kill anyone when he shot the gun. He is angry he has to lie to protect himself, even though he knows he is not doing the right thing.

Bargaining

Jenna

6-8

Jenna does math problems and she cleans to make her feel more in control of those things, because she had no control over her father’s death.

Depression

Jenna

6-8

Jenna did leave her house for a long time since her father died. She has not cried, because she does not let herself. She feels like it is her fault even though she had no control of someone shooting that gun.

Acceptance

Jenna

13-15

Jenna accepts that it is okay to be sad and she will move on from this eventually. She realizes she does not need to hide her sadness because is will ruin her inside.

Swallowing Stones was is one of my favorite books we have read all year. It taught a good lesson throughout the book that you can apply to your own life. Michael built lies on top of lies, and this can teach us to just simply not lie. The truth will come out eventually, so you might as well tell it to begin with and not end up like Michael. If you are going to lie don’t get your friends involved. Michael made his friends lie for him to protect himself, but he was only making things worse.

Everyone saw Amy as easy or rude. No one would talk to her, because they heard bad things about her. This can teach us not to judge others without even getting to know them. When Michael and Jenna got to know Amy they were surprised, because she is not anything like others say about her.

Jenna’s character hid her feelings and would not let herself be sad. She finally accepted it is okay to grief and feel sad. This can teach us things get better in life. It is okay to feel sad sometimes. Just don’t let that sometimes be all the time. Jenna let herself move on and forgive Michael.

Michael at the end did the right thing. He confessed what he did, and Jenna was okay at the end. Although, the ending was bad to me. I liked it, but I wish it would have told what happened to Michael. Did he go to jail? Did he end up turning himself in? Or did Jenna tell the police?

Have you ever been to Six Flags? If you look around it is much more than just having fun. Going to Six Flags can be exciting and entertaining, but it can also be very educational. I recommend that the class of 2021 goes to Six Flags to learn some new scientific facts.
Six Flags is very thrilling! Of course, getting on a roller coaster and going up and down and upside down is thrilling after waiting in a long line! Riding a coaster is like you’re flying! Six Flags has many small games to play. You could win a prize as tall as you! When I went to Six Flags, my best friend and I won stuffed unicorns for throwing darts at balloons.
Six Flags is also educational. However, riding a roller is fun, but you can learn about kinetic and potential energy. You can learn from throwing a dart at a balloon when the balloon pops, that is sound energy. When you go down a hill on a roller coaster you better hold on tight, because gravity can jerk you down.
Going to Six Flags can be a memory you will never forget, and you can learn some unforgettable scientific facts. I believe the class of 2021 should go on this field trip, so we would better understand science in the future.